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Super J Cup - First Stage

Super J Cup Opening Round Match
Dean Malenko vs GedoI'm not one to go on about booking decisions, but fuck, the wrong man won. Who really wants to seeing Gedo in three matches in one night? I'd love to of seen Malenko of advance but it was not the case here. He does manage to carry Gedo to decent match though. Malenko has some slick matwork and he got the time to show it off here.**3/4

Super J Cup Opening Round Match
Shinjiro Ohtani vs Super DelfinI've always heard great things about Ohtani and I can really see why by his showing here. The rookie is going against the much more experienced Delfin and attacks his leg straight after the bell rings and he really rips it apart. A great ruthless rookie performance.***1/2

Super J Cup Opening Round Match
El Samurai vs Masayoshi MotegiOne of the two only weak matches on the card. This dragged considering it was only seven minutes.*1/2

Super J Cup Opening Round Match
Ricky Fuji vs Negro CasasThe other weak match, but not as bad as the last. I was expecting much more out of Negro.**

Super J Cup Opening Round Match
Jushin Liger vs HayabusaLiger carried the debuting Hayabusa to pretty good match. Liger would dominate the most of the match, but Hayabusa would fight back with top-rope attacks. A tactic which would later be the reason for him losing the match.***1/2

Super J Cup Quarter-Final Match
Super Delfin vs GedoYou can see how the current indy scene drew inspiration from this style of wrestling, however this captures the negative side of things such as 2.9 falls overkill and other things.**1/4

Super J Cup Quarter-Final Match
Wild Pegasus vs Black TigerThese two are so crisp and their execution of certain moves are absolutely flawless. This was just a treat to watch. They had the audience in the palms of their hand. Super hot crowd thanks to the impeccable timing of the spots.***3/4

Super J Cup Quarter-Final Match
Great Sasuke vs El SamuraiI really wished the legwork went some where in this. For the first 5 minutes, Samurai only worked on Sasuke's leg but Sasuke eventually says 'fuck this' and starts pulling out the Sasuke Specials with ease. This would usually be a major gripe but the spots that followed were so entertaining that I just have to overlook that flaw.***1/2

Super J Cup Quarter-Final Match
Jushin Liger vs Ricky FujiFun to see Liger bust out a good portion of his moveset onto a defenseless Fiji but other than that this was pretty forgettable.**1/2

Super J Cup Semi-Final Match
Jushin Liger vs Great SasukeOne Liger's best grumpy fucker performance. Even without seeing his face, his body language tells us all. The New Japan Superstar has no time for that indy darling's shit. Liger tears away at Sasuke's arm and adds fuel to Sasuke's comeback. Sasuke's use of his aerial defense to combat Liger looked very believable too and really made the crowd pop. Also features the coolest botch in the history of pro-wrestling and it actually helps the match. What stops this from getting the full five? It probably has to be Sasuke completely devaluing his finisher by not teasing it at all. ****1/2

Super J Cup Final Match
Great Sasuke vs Wild PegasusLike his other matches in this tournament, the match is built around Sasuke's comeback. It's a simple formula that makes the crowd go nuts. Sasuke gets beaten down, hits a few high-risk moves and then both men trade beautifully executed and timed spots until it's time to call it a day. However, what stops this from being five stars is the fact I really wished there was something 'deeper' in the match. Something like a callback spot. Call it being over-analytical, but I really need something like that for me to go ***** on a match. ****3/4

Final Thoughts:
If you haven't seen this show before, go see it. If you have, see it again. I come go on and say how this event could of been better if guys like Malenko, Negro and Ohtani won a match or two instead of fucking Gedo and Fuji but this show is still one of the best tournaments I have ever seen.